Prostate Cancer Incontinence: What products do you use? Tips?

@topf if PT got rid of Keagle‘s what are you doing now?

@kenpelan A whole bunch of different exercises and she changes them a little every week. According to her, my main problem right now is that my muscles retain tension when they are supposed to be relaxed. And apparently kegels would make that problem worse. I do several yoga-ish floor exercises with them weight while tightening the lower abdominal muscles and some different exercises for relaxation.

@topf

Thanks Topf for the info : )
Do you see more progress with those new exercises ? I am asking since PT in a hospital gave my husband some "posture" exercises that would supposedly correct pelvic tilt and speed up recovery, but we were skeptical about that. My hubby was not instructed to stop K's and he is doing new exercises although we do not see how they can help , but now I wonder if there is something to it. However, he got only ONE exercise, that I find really sub-optimal in general. I think that we might try to find private PT practice after all.
Do you mind sharing level of incontinence at this point ?
My husband has about 3-10 ml at night and about 20 ml during a day. He is 9 weeks post op now and started with about 70 ml in 24 hours 2 weeks after cath came out. He is not complaining at all, but I am perfectionist and always try to "put things in order" as fast as possible *sigh 😵‍💫
Thanks so much in advance 🙂🌺

I had surgery 9 months ago and am still having incontinence issues. You mentioned that he is using Depend briefs and changing them as needed. I started that way too, but quickly learned that changing a brief required taking off my shoes and pants, which is not always easy or convenient. I now still wear Depend briefs but also use a pad (several brands are available, including Depend). That gives me a very easy way to change the pad as needed, sometimes without even unzipping my pants, and the Depend brief gives me a "dependable" backup in case the pad gets oversaturated. I do not use the adhesive strip that is on most pads, as it tears the Depend brief apart when removing the pad.

@topf
Thanks for the note

@jeffmarc I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from Jeff. I have the same exact issue. Whenever I go out in public, I put a clamp on and a light pad over it just in case. It really does a LOT. But I just went to my 6 month checkup and the conversation went to AUS. I'm going to talk to him in 6 mos. I'm thinking it'll be a great chance to get back to "normal."

Best of luck to everyone here! Love you all!
Doug

@ramblinman
I can’t understand why people wear depends briefs when they can use a pad. If you use those briefs, you can’t easily pee without removing the brief. So, do you always pee right into your underwear? I know for me that would cause a continuous rash below my waist.

I wear a pad and may have to change it a couple of times a day, but I can go into a bathroom and pee without having to remove my underwear. I found that if I pee every hour and a half to two hours, my pad does not get very wet, Even though I drip constantly if standing or sitting.

Underwear like jockey shorts can easily hold a thick pad, but still enable you to stand at a urinal and pee by doing it through a raised leg band, since the normal opening is blocked by a pad.

Just some thoughts by someone with a real incontinence problem I want to get an AUS to resolve.

@jeffmarc I would very much love to just use a pad, but I just like the extra insurance that a brief gives me, for those times when the pad gets too full/wet and starts to leak a bit. Without a brief, that's going to show on my pants. As for peeing in a restroom, I just pull the front of the brief down enough to reach my penis, and then I pee as usual.

I had prostate cancer radiation 5 years ago. Yes incontance was really out of control. My body was pretty traumatized by it. 2 years later, I had my Gall Bladder removed, which REALLY MESSES up #1 and #2.. My Urologist told me I had a spastic bladder. That is, the bladder runs amok, sending out urgent messages that you have to pee.

I got some meds to lessen the urges and leakage. Kegel exercises are important. I happened to find a Suzzane Summers thigh master (there are also knock-offs of thigh master which work just as well. I feel that focuses more precisely on strengthening muscles that control the bladder.

Stress and anxiety still really trigger me to have urges again. I practise belly breathing all the time now. You breathe in slowly, extending your belly, then breathe out. Every step, breath in, wait, breath out (with mouth open) wait. Each step should be 4 seconds. If that's too hard, make it a short count to start. '

Another important part is focusing on your body. When you feel the urge, wait as long as you can. Whenever I sit or lie down for a while - as soon as I stand, I have the urge to go. I grid my loins, reinforcing my mind I do not have to pee when I stand up.

There is also a condition called 'latchkey incontanense'. That is, if I am not near a bathroom and mentally engaged, I don't feel the urge. When I start home, the urge becomes strong, fumbling with the key in the door, I start leaking, by the time I hit the toilet, I've lost control. This has all gradually improved over time.

I don't want to bumb you out, but this has been a several-year process for me to improve. Everyone reacts differently. At first, I wet the bed fairly often, had to use a mattress cover, and wear a diaper. At first, it was totally uncontrollable (stop drinking liquids 3-4 hours before sleep. Then eventually, I would dream I was urinating, and then question myself (in the dream) if I was asleep or awake.

Ask your Doctor if he can give you a list of accurate websites for information on health, diet, etc. These days, there is so much 'fake news' out there. It's hard to decide which sites are best.

Hope this helpful for some.

FWIW, I've researched the AUS, the Sling, Pro Act as well as the Clamp (yuck!) and variations of the catheter. None of which is my cup of tea. Pretty much resigned myself to changing Depends six times a day and Kegel's as my two forms of daily exercise.